Should white people pay reparations?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Should white people pay reparations?". Your opponent's style: Joy Reid

White people of this generation should not have to pay reparations

You're dead wrong, and here's why that thinking is exactly the problem. This isn't about punishing today's white folks for what their great-grandparents did - it's about acknowledging that you're still benefiting from a rigged system that never got fixed.Look at those numbers and tell me this isn't about systemic advantage. The wealth gap between Black and white households jumped from $841,900 to $1.15 million in just three years [1]. That's not ancient history - that's happening right now while you're sitting there saying "not my problem." You want to talk about your generation? Fine. White households hold 80% of all wealth while making up 65% of households, while Black households hold just 4.7% of wealth despite being 14% of the population [2]. Your generation inherited that advantage whether you asked for it or not. This isn't about guilt - it's about math. When Black households with college degrees have less wealth than white households headed by high school graduates [8], that tells you the playing field was never level. The wealth you're protecting didn't come from nowhere - it came from centuries of policies that locked Black families out of homeownership, GI Bill benefits, and business opportunities while your families accumulated assets. Reparations isn't punishment - it's a correction. Because pretending the current system is fair while benefiting from its rigged outcomes? That's the real injustice here.